Imphal, July 4: The decks have been cleared for the merger between Manipur People?s Party (MPP), Federal Party of Manipur (FPM) and Democratic Revolutionary Peoples Party (DRPP), but the ruling Congress does not consider the combination to be potent enough to dethrone them.

The Congress is confident of returning to power in the next state Assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year

?Everything is nearing finalisation. The new name of the unified political body would be announced within this month itself. Once we come together it would be a major force in the next state Assembly,? announced Nimaichand Luwang, convenor of the preparatory committee for unification of regional parties today.

?The hurdle in the process was factionalism within the MPP. Now the differences have been sorted out,? Nimaichand, leader of the MPP legislature wing, said.

However, the Congress, leading the two party Secular Progressive Front (SPF) coalition dismissed the move as ?en exercise in futility.? Congress leaders said combined strength of the three regional parties would not be a threat to the party. ?The number of regional parties in Manipur is more than the combined strength of the members of all the regional parties. Regional parties have mushroomed and one has lost count of the numbers. The proposed merger is as good as an unborn child. No we don?t face any threat,? Manipur PCC president Gaikhangam said.

?The Congress is a tested party and without it no other party can come to power. It is the Congress which would be making political history in Manipur under the able leadership of Okram Ibobi Singh,? he said.

Ibobi Singh would be the first chief minister who ruled the state its full term. The Congress? dismissal of the proposed merger is not without any solid reason. Three other regional parties have not responded to the merger. Besides, the state has one unit of almost all the national parties, including a unit of Laloo Prasad?s RJD.

On top of this important leaders like Gangmumei Kamei, former minister and founder president of FPM resigned from the party following the merger move.

The FPM with 13 legislators is the largest Opposition party in the Assembly. However, insiders said that several of the sitting MLAs were ready to join other parties particularly the Congress before the election.

Leaders in the three regional parties are hoping that one more party ? Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) would join the unification process.

However, even though the Congress has dismissed the merger it has intensified its preparation for the elections.

At present the party is holding district level conventions. The party president said a state level meet would mark completion of the first round of the preparatory campaign for the election with a state level convention in Imphal. He said AICC president Sonia Gandhi would attend the convention.